I could hear the click the phone made as it went on and my dad took the call. I could hear the silence we created as we sucked in one last breath, waiting for the voice telling us Luce was okay and we were getting her back. “The money or the other one?” the voice said, right down to business, not even a ‘hey, how you doing.’ “We only have 8 mil, but please…” my dad’s voice trailed off as he feared the answer. There was silence, more than there was before. “We’ll take it. Leave the money at the Mc. Donald’s downtown, inside the bathroom and lock it. Have it there by 11 am. After we get it and count it, you can have her.” “No, at the same time.” “How do we know you’re not trying to con us?” “What?” I could hear the clear anguish and surprise in his voice. I was surprised at what happened next, what he did considering the circumstances. My dad laughed. “Me con you? Are you kidding? You’re
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playing with a life here, my daughter’s life!” “First the money, then the girl.” “You’ll kill her after you get the money.” It wasn’t a question but I was still amazed at his coldness, of how he could say it. I couldn’t help but think that he had given them the idea. I knew better. They were worse than human, they were monsters. “We’ll kill her if we don’t get it.” They gave us no choice. My dad’s mouth moved but no words came out. His eyes looked around trying to find an answer. There was none. My mom just shook her head and tears stained her rosy cheeks, her big green eyes framed by dark circles, her nose red from all the blowing and her lips trembling. She had lost some weight in just two days and she seemed so fragile that if I pushed her she seemed to break just like an egg. “Okay,” he finally said nodding. “Promise you’ll give her back.” He held on to that small hope, that even monsters had honor. “Cross my heart.” Then a click and nothing.
We all ran around the house looking for things we forgot once we got to a different room. I put on a sweatshirt and some shoes, combed my hair a bit and brushed my teeth. Jimmy washed his face and put on his shoes. We were all dirty, not having showered since the party. We didn’t care. Hygiene didn’t matter right now. “Where do you think you’re going?” my mom spoke for the first time since the kidnapping. “Bobby, she’s not coming with us.” She stomped her heelless shoe. She was shorter without her high‐heeled shoes. She looked frumpy and unkempt, without makeup or nice clothes. “Em, please stay. We’ll call you,” my dad said. I never would’ve obeyed but that had gotten us into this mess in the first place. I nodded and he gave me a light tired smile. “Good girl.” He kissed my forehead and looked at me. His eyes were black and sad, with dark circles under his sad doggy eyes. Wrinkles that hadn’t been there had formed around his eyes and his lips were bloody, small teeth marks around the lips. “I love you,” he finished as I saw his legs tremble as he kneeled. He picked up the trash bag and disappeared looking like an odd, skinny Mexican Santa Clause.